Friday, May 30, 2014

No, Talli, It's Really NOT Just You!

Those of you who have been following this blog for any length of time know that I haven't been posting on any kind of regular basis for a while now. I'd reached the point at which I was struggling to come up with things to write about, and rather than pull something together just to be posting, I opted to post less. I had cut back on the number of blogs I follow as well, sticking with only the ones I really enjoy, and even skipping those when the bloggers were participating in blog hops. (I hate blog hops--they've always seemed to me more like a high school activity than something professional writers would do, though I'm sure some of my fellow bloggers will disagree with me.)

Also, writing and marketing have been consuming most of my time, as I prepare to publish Sam's Story. (You'll see why when the launch begins!)

I discovered I'm not the only one feeling blog burnout when I read a recent post by fellow blogger/author Talli Roland, who's also cut back on posting. I agree with everything Talli says in her post, and it seems I'm not the only one. What a relief!

On the other hand, there are bloggers who never run out of things to say--William, for one, never fails to come up with fresh (and usually hilarious!) posts. Ivy's posts are usually short but always fun (I love her titles!). Anybody who's self-publishing should be following Joe Konrath's blog. And then there are my favorite photobloggers, like Grace--Australia is a place I've always wanted to see, and through her blog, I've come to feel like I know it intimately. Snow photos aside, William's photoblog gives me a chance to get to know my neighbor to the north. London Lulu (where the heck has she been, anyway?) does beautiful photography of the Princeton area. And Bob Crowe, whose wife is one of my all-time favorite people, has shown me things in my own hometown that I never knew were there!

So...I'll still be blogging, probably once a week. Twice at the most. A great deal of what I have to say can best be done via Facebook, now that I think about it....

I think many of my writer blog friends are feeling burnout. Especially if they writing a book. Too many letters sentences and exclamation points.When I started my blog, I was following several blogs of places I have been or wanted to visit. And so many of them are writers. I think many writers paint visions with words and want it perfect.... I on the other hand write like I talk. I start in the middle of a though and really don't have a beginning or an end but can and do circle around.My blog was always set up to be lots of photos and small amount of type, except when thehamish talks.Monday is about Tucson and stuff, Wednesday is about my family and other home in Japan and of course Friday is Square Dog Friday. That is about it, with a few extra days tossed in. I am not a writer but I do have a huge job I need to finish.So if I miss a day I miss a day. The blog is meant to be fun for me.I also don't do twtter, facebook, google+pinterest blah blah blah. That could burn me out very fast.

So... whenever I see your blog pop up I know I will be entertain and intrigued by what you write. Post when you feel like it and I know you will be read.

Raising my hand here. I've never liked blog hops. Seems like homework to me and here I sit with dial up--you want to see slow as a snail...So, yeah. I'm posting less, trying to write. But not just that any more. I want to enjoy life. Got things to do outside as well as in. The writing has pulled me away from taking care of the house and I just hate that. Now that the weather has turned warm I've gotta work on gardening. I don't know where anyone came up with the idea that people who follow your blog is going to actually buy anything, anyway.I may get 600 hits in one day and no one buys any book. I just don't see the point in bending over backward in doing this so much any more. Ah, that's my rant, along with yours, Norma.

@ Lorelei: I agree with your rant! Looks like a lot of us are feeling the same way.

I've never understood why anybody does blog hops. Especially that A to Z thing. Too time-consuming and accomplishes nothing. I think the biggest mistake we make is in marketing to other authors. We don't reach readers with blogs on writing advice. I don't feel like I'm qualified to give advice, anyway. I published 14 novels through conventional publishers--but the switch to self-publishing has been like relocating to another planet! I'm still learning the new language!

I don't know why anyone needs to blog, except that we wish to connect on some level with other authors. But it's true what you say--readers do NOT read our blogs. I've never had anyone I know, except for once or twice, come to my blog and leave a comment. Where do we find people who just read? That's my question! Okay, that's another rant. Think I need to go post it. Ha-ha! Good luck, Norma, I can't get the hang of it either!!!

Glad to hear that you'll still post now and again Norma.. what is a blog hopper? You would love the Moulin rouge, so much energy and funnily enough at the time we were there, a big percentage of the dancers were Australian girls, imagine that :)

@ Grace: Blog hops involve several bloggers all doing the same thing--not as entertaining as the City Daily Photo themes, though. The A to Z blog hop, for example, requires participants to choose a topic or theme and post a word or something for each letter throughout the month. It's not only time-consuming for the bloggers, but for those who follow them. If you follow 10-20 bloggers who are participating, you've got all those posts to read and comment on every day. It can be a real time-suck.

Good luck with Sam's Story! Enjoy the blogging - blog as much or as little or whenever! Bottom line is - it's your own private space in the vast internet world so you do with it as you please! yay! Take carex

Looking forward to Sam's Story! I'm glad I'm not the only one who's cut back on blogging. It's fun, but time consuming when trying to write and market. If I were a talented blogger like William, I'd post more often:)!